body of principles, by the study and practice of which the student may gain, so far as possible, the ability to create or control the beliefs of others. Any one seeking by argumentation to influence the thoughts or acts of another must employ either the written symbol or the spoken word. In this day of the newspaper, the magazine, and the essay much of the most potent argumentation comes from the pen or the public press, so that the needs of the hour call for training in the written form. On the other hand, there is a large class of students who are in search of training for the court room, the deliberative assembly, or the platform. Consequently, the requisites of both these kinds of presentation must be recognized in any treatment of the art as a whole. Accordingly, with a view to these requirements, the following plan has been adopted in presenting the subject. The work is divided into two parts: the first contains a discussion of the general principles of argumentation, applicable alike to written and to spoken discourse; the second part is devoted to the setting forth of certain additional precepts peculiar to oral debate. Finally, realizing that a thorough mastery of the subject can come only from continued practice, the authors have given, in the Appendix, a brief outline of the methods of instruction which they have found to be most serviceable, and have ventured a few suggestions which may prove helpful in supplementing the study of the text. HANOVER, N.H., May 30, 1904. |